Summary: The ability to be weak in the presence of God is an invitation for His Presence to be strong within us.

Joke: A job applicant was asked, “What would you consider to be your main strengths and weaknesses?”

“Well,” he began, “my main weakness would definitely be my issues with reality. Sometimes I have a little trouble telling what’s real and what’s not.”

“Okay,” said the interviewer. “And what are your strengths?”

“I’m Batman.”

Intro: Weakness. It’s something we try so hard to avoid, something we try so hard to overcome, conquer or ignore. And yet for all of our efforts to be strong; to be perfected, we are only to conclude that the closer we get, the longer the journey becomes. Weakness never really goes away and often when it does, it is only to give life to a new weakness.

Now society is full of self-help solutions. The voices of this world will tell us to focus on our strengths, or that if we are determined and ambitious enough, we can overcome our weaknesses. But the fact of the matter is that the world so fears weakness that it is even willing to oppress and kill the weak. Those who fail to meet the ideals of what this world defines as strength are typically cast aside.

Now I’m not denying that this world has compassion. I firmly believe that everyone on earth recognizes the need for a savior. We just seem to differ in what our understanding of a savior is and in who our understanding of the Savior is.

But what if I told you that the very things we despise about ourselves may actually be our greatest weapon?

Illustration: There was a ten-year-old boy who decided to study judo, despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.

“Master,” the boy finally said, “shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“I realize that this is the only move you know, but this may be the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the master replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the master took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged. The boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy made the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened.

“No,” the master insisted. “Let him continue.”

As soon as the match resumed, his opponent rushed in on him. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy won the match and the tournament. He was now the champion.